Learning List has reviewed Pacific Learning’s CSI Literacy for grades 7 and 8. CSI Literacy is supplemental product that supports literacy development in grades 3-8. Content is available in print and online formats and includes digital resources (i.e., USB drives). Instruction emphasizes the development of close reading skills and the comprehension of complex texts. Resources support instruction in blended learning environments.[Read more…]
Instructional Materials Reviewed
Blog posts featuring highlights from our reviews of thousands of widely used PreK-12 instructional materials.
New Product Review: Heinemann Units of Study Grades 6-8
Learning List has reviewed Heinemann’s Units of Study in Argument, Information, and Narrative Writing for grades 6-8. We have previously reviewed Units of Study in Opinion, Information, and Narrative Writing for grades K-5. Both products are supplemental writing programs made up of a set of print resources for teachers with additional materials available on CD-ROM. Based on the work of Lucy Calkins and the Teachers College Reading and Writing Project at Teachers College, Columbia University, Units of Study incorporates a workshop approach to teaching writing skills that focuses on Common Core State Standards (CCSS) for writing. [Read more…]
New Curriculum Review: Glynlyon’s Odysseyware High School Math Courses
Learning List has reviewed several of Glynlyon’s Odysseyware high school math products, including Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II, and the “Fundamentals” version of each course (e.g. Algebra I Fundamentals). Each product supports instruction in self-paced and credit-recovery programs and blended learning environments. [Read more…]
New Product Review: Algebra I Mini Interventions: Linear Equations and Inequalities
Learning List has reviewed Region 13 Education Service Center’s Algebra I Mini Interventions: Linear Equations and Inequalities. This is a supplemental product that helps teachers understand and teach the student expectations (SEs) added to the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) for Algebra I in 2012. Instruction addresses only that content added to the “Linear Equations, Functions, and Inequalities” strand of the TEKS. Content is available in interactive PDF format and may be printed. [Read more…]
Working Together to Help Districts Recover
Learning List, the Texas Association of Supervisors for Curriculum Development (TX ASCD), Texas Computer Education Association (TCEA) and the Instructional Materials Coordinators Association of Texas (IMCAT) are working together to help districts replace instructional materials that were damaged during Hurricane Harvey.
A jointly signed email went out to over 230 publishing companies across the country asking each to provide contact information for their Texas representative(s). The email also invited publishers to list the title(s) and quantities of any materials their company is willing to donate to districts affected by Hurricane Harvey. Given districts’ urgent needs, publishers were only afforded a few days to complete the form. Forty publishers submitted information by the deadline; additional publishers continue to add their information as their companies determine how best to help. [Read more…]
New Product Reviews: Glynlyon’s Odysseyware High School Social Studies Courses
Learning List has reviewed five of Glynlyon’s Odysseyware comprehensive social studies courses for Texas high schools. Each course addresses the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) and supports instruction in self-paced and credit-recovery programs and blended learning environments. Content incorporates instructional videos, grade-appropriate texts, games, and interactive learning activities. A brief description of each course is provided below. [Read more…]
New Product Review: CodeCombat
Learning List has reviewed CodeCombat. This comprehensive product supports computer science instruction in grades 4-12, including Advanced Placement (AP) Computer Science Principles courses. Content is available online and includes printable resources. Instruction is game based and addresses the structure and syntax of computer programming using the JavaScript and Python programming languages. [Read more…]
New Product Review: Accelerate Learning STEMscopes
Accelerate Learning’s STEMscopes is a comprehensive product that supports science instruction in grades PK-12. Content is available in print and digital formats and includes kits of hands-on materials for each K-5 grade level and middle school and high school course (e.g., physical science). Instruction provides hands-on investigations, activities that link science to other content areas, and collaborative learning experiences. Learning List recently reviewed resources for K-12. [Read more…]
Rural Districts and Advanced Placement Courses
An August 2017 report from the Education Commission of the States and the College Board explores rural students’ access to and participation in Advanced Placement (AP) courses, as well as their performance on AP exams, relative to students who reside in urban and suburban areas. Below we summarize some key findings from the report, which relies on data collected across 15 school years (i.e., 2000-01 to 2014-15):
- Access to AP courses has increased significantly for rural students. In 2001, only 56% of rural high school seniors had access to at least one AP course; by
2015, this percentage had increased to 73% of high school seniors. - While access to AP courses improved for rural students (73%), it still lagged that of urban (92%) and suburban (95%) students in 2015.
- Of the rural high school seniors who had access to at least one AP course in 2015, only 31% took an AP exam. This compares with 40% of urban and 39% of suburban high school seniors.
- On average, rural students earned an AP exam score of 2.6, compared with 2.73 for urban students and 2.98 for suburban students in 2015. Note that AP exams use a standardized score that ranges from 1 to 5, with a score of 5 indicating the highest level of performance. Scores of 3 or higher are often awarded college credit by post-secondary institutions. [Read more…]
New Product Review: Texas Instruments 10 Minutes of Code
Learning List has reviewed Texas Instruments’ 10 Minutes of Code. This supplemental online product introduces students to programming concepts and the basics of coding using Texas Instruments’ TI-84 Plus and TI-Nspire™ graphing calculators. Instruction is provided in short, hands-on lessons that may be completed in about 10 minutes. Resources may be accessed at no cost on the Texas Instruments website and support instruction in Advanced Placement Computer Science Principles courses. [Read more…]